These are the three magic questions to ask yourself when trying to decide whether or not to keep something. If you need it you’ll keep it, and if you use it you’ll keep it. But if you love something, it doesn’t matter if you need it or use it, you’ll keep it. Love has a way of sticking around.

Many of the things in our homes that we love are keepsakes. Things that help to illustrate a story or bring back memories of the person it used to belong to. I love our Heywood Wakefield kitchen table because of the shape of it and also for the neat way it folds up into a smaller size. I also love the stories Aunt June used to tell about purchasing it with her husband back in the 40’s.

I love the red fleece jacket I wear around the house in the winter to keep toasty warm. My son loved when I wore this jacket when he was little – maybe because it made him warm when I held him. I don’t wear the jacket out in public anymore because it’s showing it’s age, but I love it and use it so I think I’ll keep it a while longer.

But I don’t love everything I own. Nor do I need or use everything either. The litmus test I use to determine if it stays or goes into the donate box are as simple as asking these three little questions: Do I need it?, Do I use it?, and Do I love it?

This need it/use it/love it principle can be applied to every area of your home. Let’s take the kitchen, for example. Open the gadget drawer and see what you find. How many spatulas, slotted spoons and knives do you have? Are they all useful? Do you need 47 sharp knives in varying sizes? What if you only kept the ones you loved? Would you still have plenty for all your cutting needs?

Once you choose your favorites, place them in a convenient spot where you can use them when you need them. The extras can be put in the donate box or stored in an out of the way area. Your prime real estate should be reserved for the things you use most often.

Let’s take another example – the linen closet. Look at all your bath towels and ask yourself the three need it/use it/love it questions. Are there any you could part with? Next, look at the hand towels, wash cloths, sheet sets, single pillowcases, and blankets and take the ones out that don’t make the cut. Organize the linens you love by type, color, and frequency of use.

Memorabilia tends to fall into the “love it” category. We often don’t use or need items that remind us of the past, but just looking at them makes us happy. I don’t need or use my college ID cards but I love the way they bring back memories of the times when I did need and use those cards. Paper memorabilia can be stored in photo albums where they can be shared with others or they can be kept in a box with other flat memorabilia.

For larger keepsake items like a favorite stuffed animal or blanket, a bin with a tight fitting lid is a good choice. Choose one brand (because they stack nicely and will look visually organized) like the Rubbermaid Tough Totes and give each member of the family their own.

When organizing any area of your home, remember the famous words of poet Virgil, “Love conquers all things, let us too surrender to love”. I don’t think he was referring to home organizing when he said it but if you love something, I encourage you to keep it.

Do you live in a small home that’s short on storage space? There’s a “small space bible” to help you get organized and it’s loaded with practical tips and resources for every room in your petite space.

Small Space Organizing: A Room-By-Room Guide to Maximizing Your Space by award-winning author and journalist Kathryn Bechen contains ideas for arranging the furniture, maximizing storage space, and choosing storage products. The book also includes real life stories of how she and her husband dwell well – and prefer living – in a small space.

“Remembering that in small spaces every inch counts” is a theme she illustrates throughout the book with solutions for homeowners and renters alike.

Kathryn includes resources galore in this new book for everything from double – duty furniture to hooks and baskets to green and organic options for making your small space work for you.

There’s even a home office equipment and supplies list to help you set up a successful system for working from home or for paying the bills. She walks you through the process of setting up a filing system and processing paperwork – information that’s helpful even if you don’t live in a small space.

This book is as sweet and dear as Kathryn herself and you can hear her voice on every page as she takes you on a virtual tour of the beautifully organized homes of her clients, friends, acquaintances and her own.

Melinda Anderson, CPO

Welcome, I’m so glad you dropped by today! I love helping my clients get unpacked and organized in their new homes. Imagine… a relaxing home with all the items you need, use, and love in the perfect place for function and daily efficiency. My team and I can establish a beautifully organized home for you, usually in three days or less.